Mossley
Mossley maps (2 available)
Map of Lancashire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Lancashire
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Mossley books (4 available)
Did You Know? Bury - A Miscellany
Hardback
Manchester Photographic Memories
Paperback
Mossley memories
Read and share memories of Mossley and Lancashire inspired by Frith photos
Remembering
I was brought up in Mossley and have lots of happy memories. My sister Dot still lives there, she fills me in on what is going on. I now live in Florida but will always be a part of Mossley which I took so much for granted while living there. I have travelled to a lot of places and countries since I left there but believe me there is nowhere quite like Mossley, it is a lovely place to see. I show people over here photos and they all say it looks nice. I had a lot of good friends there. I went to All Saints C of E, left school in 1959, started work at Astalls foundry then went to ...read more here
Contributed by pete brooks
Lancashire memories
Remembering
I was brought up in Mossley and have lots of happy memories. My sister Dot still lives there, she fills me in on what is going on. I now live in Florida but will always be a part of Mossley which I took so much for granted while living there. I have travelled to a lot of places and countries since I left there but believe me there is nowhere quite like Mossley, it is a lovely place to see. I show people over here photos and they all say it looks nice. I had a lot of good friends there. I went to All Saints C of E, left school in 1959, started work at Astalls foundry then went to ...read more here
A memory of Mossley contributed by pete brooks
Childhood memories at Grandma Robinsons.
Funny how some things stay with you all your life, and even when you leave a country you have grown up in, those memories follow you. It was the end of WW2, people were beginning to settle, 'ration books' were used by all. People could leave their lights on at night, and not have to draw the curtains. Us kids played outside till late at night too, and Dad pulled down the air-raid shelter from our back garden.
Our family went from Newport Mon, to see our grandparents. They lived in Stalybridge, at 46 Caroline Street. It was really something going on the train in those days, it seemed to take forever to get there.
Caroline Street, ...read more here
A memory of Stalybridge contributed by Phyllis PEARSON
Born in Oldham
I remember seeing the Queen when she visited Oldham - I was born there in 1950.
A memory of Oldham contributed by eileen pinnington
Extracts From Mossley & Lancashire books
This aerial view of the swing bridges at Barton again shows them swung to let a large cargo ship through. Note that the cargo ship has tugs fore and aft to guide it through this section of the canal. Barton Monastery stands just to the right of the swing bridges; it was formerly All Saints RC Church, Barton. The area at the top of the picture was the wood seasoning area for one of the large timber firms using the canal, and is now a housing estate.
An extract from from"Manchester Photographic Memories".
This view shows the two bridges at Barton upon Irwell both swung to let the paddle steamer ‘Ivanhoe’ pass. When the Ship Canal first opened (our view is only twelve months after that opening on 1 January 1894), many people wanted to travel, and see the wonders of this new waterway. A Ship Canal Pleasure Steamer Company was formed, and weekends and Bank Holidays would see two or three of these paddle steamers taking passengers on sight-seeing trips up and down the canal.
An extract from from"Manchester Photographic Memories".
When the Duke of Bridgewater planned his canal into Manchester in 1760, the original plan was to stay on the Salford side of the Irwell. Because he could not purchase the land he wanted, he was forced to cross the River Irwell and go into Manchester via Stretford. He was given permission to skirt the Trafford Park Estate, but his big problem was crossing the Irwell, which he did with a beautiful stone aqueduct designed by James Brindley. This aqueduct lasted over one hundred and twenty years, until the emerging Ship Canal needed it out of the way for the large vessels to pass. This swing aqueduct that carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Ship Canal was the answer to their problem.
An extract from from"Manchester Photographic Memories".
When the docks first opened, it took a while for them to reach their potential, but by 1900 they had started to show that they could be successful and profitable. Moves were then made to enlarge the dock, and the land belonging to the Manchester Racecourse Co was purchased ready to build No 9 dock. This dock, the largest of all the docks, was officially opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on a royal visit on 13 July 1905.
An extract from from"Manchester Photographic Memories".
When the Ship Canal opened in 1894, traffic really was a mixed bag of sailing ships, steam ships and motor vessels. Here we see the docks with a mixed array of vessels just a year after opening. Our photographer is looking from the very spot where the Lowry Centre on Salford Quay is today.
An extract from from"Manchester Photographic Memories".